WNBC: Growth at 7

Mickey Mantle wore it on his back, George Costanza wanted to name his kid after it, and it’s a lucky number for WNBC New York thus far, says station manager Don Forman. 

The station’s new 7 p.m. news is gaining viewers; Forman says it picked up 20% since last week. "People are happy the news is available when they are," he says. 

WNBC dropped its iconic "Live at Five" newscast earlier this month, as did fellow O&O WTVJ Miami. 

While he acknowledges New York Nightly News is a work in progress, with the format still being tweaked, he’s optimistic about the 7 p’s future. "What makes me happy is what my neighbors tell me," he says. "They say, ‘I’m so happy to have this–I’m not home early enough [for the 5 p.m. news], and I have to be in bed before the 11 p.m.’"